Paperback book of 'Voices of Courage'

From tragedy to triumph, inspiring lessons unfold in this one-of-a-kind book by twelve survivors of sexual assault. An eye-opening journal of personal growth and recovery, Voices of Courage will forever change your perspective on life after a sexual assault.

Each chapter Is written by a different survivor of sexual assault. Professionals, survivors, family members, educators, educational institutions, and the military use the stories throughout Voices of Courage to connect with both the devastation of assault and the strength inside every survivor. You will be go from hard-hitting emotion to moments of a survivor making you smile.

Inside Voices of Courage

Each chapter is written by a survivor of sexual assault – sharing his or her personal story of survival told in his or her own words. Whether you are reading the book or listening to the 12 survivors on the CDs, you will quickly notice the survivors in this book represent a truly inclusive group of individuals, including males and females, sexual orientations, race, lifestyles, and geographical locations.

The sexual assaults discussed in this book range from child molestation, incest, clergy abuse, “date rape drug” facilitated, acquaintance rape, marital rape, and stranger attack to other forms of sexual assault. Unlike most books on sexual assault that mainly focus on the horror of rape, Voices of Courage reveals the determination and strength that surviving sexual assault brings to many survivors’ lives. You will be uplifted and inspired by the amazing strength these 12 role models live with on a daily basis.

Excerpts from Each Chapter:

“I have found healing in the process. For every time I tell my story, it loses a little bit of its hold on me.” Linda, Survivor of Rape by a Serial Rapist

“Tears that aren’t shed, return to the soul and remain. Today, I release those tears. I get lighter all the time.” Shirley, Survivor of Incest

“When I talk with students about sexual assault, I tell them that men can be sexually assaulted and that if they hadn’t ever known of a male survivor, they do now.” Ben, Survivor of Rape Induced by Date Rape Drugs

“I still get excited about the little things in life, like I did before you hurt me.” Caroline, Survivor of Acquaintance Rape

“Survivors of sexual assault can and must be heard — through poetry, art, music or public speaking.” Karen, Survivor of Spousal Rape

“That is why I became an advocate. This is my fight. I have been featured on television shows and radio shows for one purpose: to stop violence against the vulnerable.” Donna, Survivor of Multiple Rapes including Clergy Abuse

“My rape added another dimension to my existence, but it has not replaced all the others, it does not define who I am. I want people to know that I am a regular young woman with a normal life and great expectations.” Adrienne, Survivor Drug-Facilitated Gang Rape

“I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and was ready to use my experience to help others.” Juliette, Survivor of Acquaintance Rape

“To face that depth of despair is to enter a deep, dark, frightening chasm. But it’s worth it, for when we emerge, it is into a place of light and calm. The result of surviving that dark place is an amazing strength.” Barb, Survivor of Rape

“I feel whole again.” Gabriel, Survivor of Child Molestation

“I am a rape survivor, but there is more to ‘survival’ than simply coming out of the attack alive. Survival is a process that molds you into the person that you will become. I am very proud of who I am, and I owe so much of that to my family and friends.” Cheri, Survivor of Rape by Stranger Attack

“I knew that I couldn’t change what had happened to me, only how I would deal with it.” Angela, Survivor of Acquaintance Rape

AUDIO BOOK

The Voices of Courage Audio Book is a defining example of why the voices of sexual assault survivors need be heard throughout our society. This wonderful set of audio tracks helps remove the “silence” from sexual assault. You can download all the audio tracks for FREE below or by clicking here. On the downloadable audio tracks of Voices of Courage, listeners will hear each survivor from the book read his or her own chapters. Plus, you will get to listen to interviews of the survivors discussing the process of sharing their personal experiences with others. Hearing the actual voices of the survivors sharing their innermost thoughts and memories is a truly moving experience for all listeners. Since all of the recording for this set was done via the telephone, the sound quality may vary on the CDs. However, the impact of listening to the survivors read their chapters is priceless.

REVIEWS

Every two minutes in America, someone is the victim of rape or sexual assault. In this informative and emphatic book, we are faced with the tragedy and triumph of victims of this violent crime. Voices of Courage can help us all better understand the trauma that victims experience and ways to help them survive and thrive after the crime.” Scott Berkowitz, President and Founder, RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

A wonderful collection of diverse victims stories, told crisply and directly, and each with a different message. Many voices speaking through poetry, journals, and stark description of terrible experiences… but more important, recovery from them. In these terrible experiences, honestly told, lies a hidden grace – that of coming to new understandings and finding directions for recovery. Gary Schoener, Psychologist, Author & Expert on Sexual Violence by Professionals

It doesn’t get any more real than this! Voices of Courage tells the stories of victims who have endured the ultimate betrayal to their bodies, minds, and spirits and through the process have moved on to become courageous survivors. Joyce Arends, MSW, LICSW, New Horizons Crisis Center

Voices of Courage is without question the best book on the market to help others feel on a visceral level what it might feel like to be a survivor. Each chapter is written from the depths of the heart of a survivor who opens her or his world to the reader with a story of pain that ends in hope for recovery and change in a world dominated by rape culture. I was so moved by this book and by the accompanying CDs that I made it required reading for people I train about sexual assault. I play the CDs to keep my employees in One in Four focused on our mission — to end rape. Mike Domitrz has pieced together an outstanding volume of survivor stories that will long be help up as the gold standard in our field. Thank you Mike, and moreover, thank you to the courageous survivors who shared their stories with us throughout this unique volume. John D. Foubert, Ph.D., Founder of One in Four